NEVER mind retaining their European Championship trophy, the Lionesses might not even get the chance to defend it at this rate.

This evening's 2-1 defeat to France at St James’ Park means Sarina Wiegman’s European champions have won just one of their opening three qualifiers for next summer’s tournament in Switzerland, with trips to France and Sweden still to come. They currently sit third in their group, an outcome that would only be good enough for a play-off place should it not be improved in the games that remain. England would be favourites in a play-off game, but as reigning champions, it would hardly be a good look.

Leading through Beth Mead’s close-range finish, the Lionesses’ inability to defend set-pieces proved their undoing. Both of France’s goals came from corners, and while they were the result of excellent finishes from Elisa de Almeida and Marie-Antoinette Katoto, England’s defending has not really convinced since those golden moments at the Euros two summers ago.

Has the side gone backwards? Does it need some new blood? Time will tell, but after a period of seemingly unrelenting progress, it is only fair that some taxing questions are asked now that results are beginning to turn.

This evening's game marked the Lionesse’s first visit to Newcastle after previous matches in Sunderland and Middlesbrough. The game was the first leg of an international double-header that will see Gareth Southgate’s men’s side take on Bosnia at St James’ Park on Monday, and attracted a crowd of 42,561. Even by the North-East’s sport-loving standards, that was quite some endorsement of the decision to take the game to Tyneside.

The home support, which contained a large number of families, was primarily there to back the Lionesses, who have become household names thanks largely to their success at the last Euros, which were won on home soil in 2022.

However, for one of the heroes of that triumph, last night was to prove a bittersweet experience. Mary Earps had been eagerly looking forward to her 50th appearance in an England shirt, but less than one minute in, the goalkeeper was wincing in pain as she twisted awkwardly while making what should have been a routine clearance.

Earps tried to continue after a lengthy spell of treatment, but the wince that accompanied her next kick upfield confirmed the problem had not been solved. Tearfully, she left the field to be replaced by Chelsea’s Hannah Hampton.

The early setback seemed to subdue England’s players, with the game rapidly turning into a cagey affair in which neither side seemed to want to take too many chances.

Normally, England’s full-back pairing of Lucy Bronze and Jess Carter like to tear up and down the touchline, often operating as auxiliary wingers. Here, with France’s slick midfield interplay pinning them back, they had to be much more conservative.

Even so, the Lionesses were still the side doing most of the pressing, and they should really have broken the deadlock midway through the first half.

Alessia Russo sent Lauren Hemp scampering away on the overlap on the left-hand side, but while the winger picked out Ella Toone with her pull-back, the Manchester United forward scuffed a poor first-time effort wide of the target. Toone army? Not quite.

Hemp’s ability to find space down the left was a key component of England’s attacking all evening, and she was heavily involved again as the hosts claimed the lead on the half-hour mark.

Another pull-back was heading to Georgia Stanway before the midfielder was wiped out by a mistimed sliding challenge from Selma Bacha. The tackle would almost certainly have resulted in a penalty, but before referee Marta Huerta De Aza had an opportunity to intervene, the ball broke to an unmarked Mead, who calmly swept home from close range. Born in Whitby, raised in Hinderwell, and a product of both Middlesbrough and Sunderland’s academies, there could hardly have been a more fitting goalscorer on North-East soil.

England’s lead was deserved given the composed manner in which they were controlling midfield, but it would have been wiped out within four minutes had it not been for Hampton. Maelle Lakrar’s back-post header from a corner was heading in until Hampton flung herself to her left to keep the ball out.

The opportunity hinted that France could profit from set-pieces, and sure enough, when the visitors equalised four minutes before the break, their goal came from a corner. That said, though, there was not a lot England could have done to keep the ball out.

De Almeida was heading away from her own goal when she swivelled to hook in a first-time volley from the edge of the box, but she caught the ball as clean as a whistle and it arced beyond Hampton and into the top corner. Hemp, who was the closest defender, was pushed by Wendie Renard, but the quality of de Almeida’s finish was still sensational.

Having levelled, France’s attacking players sensed an opportunity to make England suffer even more, and having danced her way into the penalty area at the start of the second half, Delphine Cascarino dragged a low shot wide of the post. England’s defenders, standing off the French striker, were fortunate to get away with their passive approach.

Midway through the second half, however, and the home side’s lax defending proved their undoing. Another set-piece caused confusion in the Lionesses’ defence, with a succession of defenders passing up the opportunity to clear their lines. The ball was delivered to Katoto at the back post, and the Paris St Germain striker swivelled to fire a clincal strike into the bottom corner. Kylian Mbappe might have failed to fire at St James’ Park last autumn, but this was one PSG forward enjoying their trip to Tyneside.


England (4-3-3): Earps (Hampton 8); Bronze, Williamson, Bright, Carter; Toone, Walsh, Stanway (Kirby 79); Mead (Kelly 79), Russo, Hemp.

France (4-4-2): Peyraud-Magnin; Karchaoui, Renard, Lakrar, de Almeida (Perisset 86); Diani, Bacha, Toletti, Dali (le Garrec 90); Cascarino (Henry 69), Katoto (Ribadeira 90).